Traditional economists cannot quantify or measure the effect of white male privilege in facilitating business dealings or obtaining employment in emerging market economies.
This is because white privilege cannot be easily measured.
Ironically, part of whiteness’ privilege derives from its position as the “norm” against which all else can be made visible for dissection.
Meanwhile, it remains almost invisible itself.
In both South Africa and particularly in India, white men from the west benefit from positive stereotypes.
People believe they are wealthy, are a boon to the economy and are “legal” migrants.
In India, one factor stands out far above the rest.
Almost every single white man from a “developed” country whom I interviewed candidly explained the positive effect his white skin had on his migration experience.
Many felt a mixture of discomfort and surprise at the power they’d gained by moving from a white-majority society to a white-minority society.
At home they looked like everybody else.
In a country like India, their whiteness set them apart.
It also gave them an exponential social and economic advantage.
They report being ushered into nightclubs and concerts and, according to one 20-something American man living in Bangalore, receive a lot of positive attention on dating apps like Tinder.
Whiteness is a selling point for many employers.
I interviewed a British man in his 60s who was the headmaster at an elite South Indian private school.
During a speech to parents, he explained that he was happy to relocate to India because one of his great-grandparents was actually Indian.
His employers were unhappy that he’d mentioned this Indian heritage.
Part of the school’s cachet and competitive advantage derived from having a “genuine white guy” in charge.
White women and darker-skinned migrants have very different migration experiences from their white male counterparts.
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